Crowley's Pet
by BlackShaftedArrow
Summary: Crowley gets a pet. Written for my sister on her birthday. Happy Birthday, EvenstarWarrior!
1. Crowley's Surprise

** DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan!**

** For my amazing sister EvenstarWarrior, who has never let me down and has always been there for me. Happy Birthday!**

It was a beautiful day in Redmont. The few, fluffy clouds in the sky were decidedly still, and the thick scent of wildflowers hung in the air.

Crowley breathed in deeply, wanting to savor this wonderful morning air for the rest of his life. He patted Cropper's neck affectionately, and the horse responded with a quiet snort. Then the little cabin came into view, and the Ranger twisted in the saddle to make sure the small cage tied to the back of his saddle was still there. Satisfied that all was well, he clucked his tongue gently to Cropper, and the horse obediently increased its pace to a smooth trot.

It did not take long for them to reach the front porch of the small cabin in the woods. Crowley happily slid from the saddle and quickly untied the cage from his saddle. He peeked underneath the thick canvas draped over top to make sure his precious cargo was still intact before making his way up to the front door.

He was about to knock on the door when he stopped, knuckles still raised in mid-air. _Don't need to knock._ He thought to himself before shoving the door open cheerfully.

"Good morning, Halt!" He glanced around the interior of the house, fully expecting to see his old friend lounging on the couch reading through reports or sipping a cup of coffee. But he wasn't there. "Halt?" Throwing the cowl back on his cloak and setting the cage down beside the front door, he took a few steps inside the house, calling again to his friend. "Halt, I know you're home. Abelard is out in the paddock." He grinned as he heard a frustrated sigh coming from the bedroom.

Crowley strode over to the doorway and threw the door wide open. "There you are!"

Halt glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Woah there! No need to be so grouchy." Crowley sank down on the bed and watched his friend sitting at the little desk in the corner of the room. "What are you doing?"

"Reports. What else?"

"Oh." Crowley was slightly disappointed that his friend was in such a bad mood, but he knew that it wouldn't be a problem to cheer him up. "Where's Will?"

"Outside."

The Ranger sitting on the comfortable bed realized that Halt's replies were getting shorter and shorter, so he decided to change the subject. "I—"

"Done!" Halt exclaimed at exactly the same time that Crowley began to speak. The gray-bearded Ranger quickly folded the papers he was working on and slid them into an envelope before placing them neatly in the pocket of his jerkin. "What were you saying?"

"I brought a surprise."

Halt groaned as he headed for the kitchen. "Isn't that what you always bring?"

Crowley grinned as he followed the other man, closing the bedroom door gently behind him. "I got a pet." He said excitedly, walking over to the little cage still resting on the floor and picking it up by the handle on the top.

"A pet." Halt raised an eyebrow as he set a pot of coffee brewing.

Crowley nodded emphatically.

Just then Will burst into the cabin, shouting for Halt. "Halt! Hey Halt, where did you go?" He didn't realize that his master was sitting at the kitchen table, watching him amusedly. "Why are you always sneaking off like that?" The boy dashed into Halt's bedroom before emerging seconds later, only to run right into his mentor. "Oh, Halt!" He continued, completely nonplussed. "There you are. Can I—"

Will glanced up and saw Crowley still standing by the front door, the cage dangling by his fingers. "Oh, good morning, Crowley!"

The other Ranger frowned. "Is that any way to speak to your commandant?"

Will shrugged. "I learn everything I know from Halt." But before either of the two senior rangers could say anything, though, he continued. "What's in the cage?"

"My pet." Crowley said, beaming. Then, with those words, he ripped the canvas off the cage to reveal what was hidden inside.

Halt raised both eyebrows this time as he saw the little animal inside the cage. "A bird?" He asked, completely unimpressed.

"No, not just a bird. It's a crow!"

"Cool!" Will said, coming forward to look at the little black bird with dark, beady eyes. "What's his name?"

"Not his, her." Crowley said, setting the cage down on the kitchen table and taking a seat beside Halt. The gray-bearded ranger stood to get the coffee while Crowley continued to explain the little beast to Will.

"Her name is Lee."

"Lee? Isn't that a boy name?" Halt asked, currently coming back to the table with three mugs of coffee.

Crowley shook his head in disgust as both Halt and Will spooned a healthy amount of honey in the dark liquid. He shrugged. "So what?"

"Where'd you get him?" Will asked, taking a big gulp of coffee.

"Her."

"Sorry."

"I got her from a little shop in the town. Forget what it was called. Something like, 'Wings and Beaks, or something like that."

Halt snorted. "Wings and Beaks?"

"I told you I don't remember what it was called!" Crowley said defensively.

"Hey, Crowley has a crow named Lee!" Will beamed at his own wit and glanced around the table at hs two companions.

Crowley just stared at him blankly and Halt shook his head.

Will decided at that point it would be a good idea to change the subject. "She's cute." He said, sticking a finger between the bars of the cage to stroke the dark feathers.

"I wouldn't—" Crowley began.

"OW!" Will yelped, yanking his hand out of the cage and glaring at the bird accusingly. "It bit me!"

"Birds don't bite, Will. They peck. The bird _pecked_ you." Halt said, taking another long draft of coffee.

Will scowled at his mentor. "Same thing. Crowley, this bird is rabid! You should get your money back."

Crowley shook his head. "I bought her that way."

"You mean you bought a rabid bird?"

"No. She's wild. She's not tame or anything."

Halt peered at his friend over the rim of his coffee cup. "Crowley, what exactly are you going to do with it?"

"What do you mean, Halt? I'm gonna keep her." Crowley looked fondly at his new pet.

"But she bit me!" Will said indignantly.

"She doesn't bite me, see?" Crowley opened the bird-sized door to the cage and Lee obediently hopped onto his outstretched finger. With his other hand, Crowley gently pet the bird, crooning to it gently.

Will's mouth hung open, and Halt even stopped drinking his coffee to stare at his friend.

Crowley glanced up, an innocent look on his face. "What?"

**Well, I hope everyone enjoyed it, especially you, EvenstarWarrior! I tried to make it funny, but if it turned out like more of a smile-and-inwardly-kinda-chuckle story, then I guess that's okay, too. And remember, reviews are very muchly appreciated! And PLEASE PLEASE tell me what you thought about it. Were all the characters in character? I'm kinda nervous if this one was good or not, so please tell me!**

_**Arrow :D :D**_


	2. Gilan has a secret

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan.**

"DON'T ask." Halt said, finally deciding to stop the flow of questions before they even started again.

He could practically hear Will's mouth clamp shut again.

"I was just going to ask—" Will began to mutter, but Halt cut him off.

"You were just going to ask if we were almost to the crossroads, just like the last hundred times you asked. And I said, don't ask." Halt said, a little more moodily than he'd meant it to be. _Oh well._ He thought. _Maybe I can finally get some peace and quiet around here until we meet up with—_

"Hello, Halt! Will!"

The gray-bearded ranger closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again to see Gilan waiting for them a few meters ahead, waving enthusiastically.

"Hi Gil!" Will called back, urging Tug to quicken his pace.

Halt kept Abelard at the same, steady walk, though the horse rumbled his protest at being kept behind the other two. "We'll catch up with them soon enough." Halt murmured quietly to his stallion. He enjoyed being around his apprentices, both former and current, but sometimes their youthful vibrancy and actively questioning minds kept him at bay. Not to say he didn't enjoy it, of course. Whenever Will was away, he would find himself strangely missing the constant stream of questions and the lively spark he brought into his life.

Halt was snapped out of his thoughts by Gilan, who was staring at him expectantly. He looked up to find that he had somehow managed to be riding right in between his two apprentices. Will on the right, Gilan on the left. He glared at Abelard, knowing that he had taken advantage of his distraction and sped up to catch up with the other two quicker.

"Well, Halt? Have you seen Crowley's new pet?" Gilan repeated his question, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Yes, Gilan. I have." He responded dryly.

The young man beamed. "So, what did you think of her?"

"He thought he was fantastic!" Will answered for Halt, knowing that his reply was nothing like what Halt had thought of the bird.

"She, Will. Lee is a she." Gilan corrected the young apprentice.

"Right." Will said thoughtfully, trying to think of an easy way to remember it. "Hey, Lee is a she. It rhymes, you see?" Suddenly he grinned, starting to laugh at his own unintended rhyme. "Hey, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!"

Halt rolled his eyes while Gilan chuckled quietly.

The rode in silence for a few minutes, before Will began to inevitably speak again.

"So, Halt. I've been thinking…" He trailed off, glancing expectantly at Halt. But his mentor remained quiet. Will shared a look with Gilan, who shrugged.

"Aren't you going to say, 'Always a dangerous pastime' or 'You're an apprentice; you're not supposed to think'?" He asked, hoping to goad his mentor into it.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're expecting it. It's no fun if you're expecting it."

Will shrugged. "Well, I was thinking that I—"

"Always a dangerous pastime."

Will turned to look at Halt, obviously confused. "I thought you said you weren't going to say it because I was expecting it?"

Halt grinned, and Will thought it looked more like a wolf baring its teeth. "You weren't expecting it."

-

They finally made it to the Gathering Grounds, and, while Gilan and Will picked a spot to pitch their tents, Halt left Abelard with them to make a quick stop by the command tent.

"Oh, hello, Halt!" Crowley called to his old friend, standing from his chair to greet him.

"Crowley." Halt dipped his head slightly, acknowledging the other man.

"So, has Gilan told you?"

The gray-bearded Ranger's brow furrowed in confusion. "Told me? About what?"

A look of sudden alarm passed Crowley's face, but he quickly erased it and smiled easily. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Forget I even said anything, okay?"

"No problem." He said, not sure he wanted to know what Gilan still had to tell him.

**Okay, EvenstarWarrior requested that this story be continued, and she gave me some great ideas, so…yeah. I'll be continuing this; its no longer a one-shot. Anyways, sorry it was kinda short. I hope you all enjoyed it! :)**

_**Arrow :D**_


	3. It Looks Just Like You!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan!**

"Hey Haaaaalllllttttt!"

Halt groaned and leaned his back against the tree behind him, studying his coffeepot and hoping Gilan wouldn't notice him there.

"Guess what?" Gilan asked happily as the younger man came into view.

"I don't do guessing games." Halt grumped, pouring himself a cup of coffee before leaning back again.

"I wanna show you something."

Halt peered over the rim of his mug, staring at his former apprentice uninterestedly.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, which was about the time Halt usually woke. But he had gotten no sleep at all last night. Crowley's bird was squawking all night, and he had not gotten any respite from the raucous noise.

Apparently, though, he was the only one that had suffered.

"Look what I've got!" Gilan stood on the other side of the fire, a little rectangular box covered by Gilan's ranger cloak in his hand.

"Oh no." Halt moaned, knowing what was coming next.

"I got a pet too!"

The gray-bearded ranger sighed, knowing that he would not get any sleep tonight, either. But inside, he couldn't help but feel a little lighter at the sight of his young friend so happy.

Without saying anything else, Gilan ripped the cover off the cage and held it out to Halt so his mentor could see what it held.

Halt wrinkled his nose at the little beast trapped inside the cage. "What is it?"

Gilan looked exasperated. "It's a raccoon! See?" He set the cage down and opened up the top, lifting the animal out of it. He held him in his lap and stroked the animal's soft fur. "I know you've seen one before, Halt."

The older man snorted in derision. "Never seen one so fat." He took another gulp of coffee.

"Cookie isn't fat!" Gilan exclaimed indignantly.

Halt erupted in a series of violent coughs before finally managing not to choke on his coffee. _"Cookie?"_

"Yeah. That's his name."

Halt shook his head. There was a long silence.

"Hey, would you look at that!"

Halt remained silent.

"You know, he kinda looks like you!" Gilan said excitedly, holding Cookie up so Halt could see.

The older ranger raised one eyebrow.

"See, he has all that gray hair." Gilan beamed to himself, continuing to pet his new friend.

Halt scowled, glaring at the young man.

It was several long minutes before Gilan noticed. Then a look of confusion mixed with alarm came over his face. "I said something wrong, didn't I?"

Halt nodded slowly.

"And I should leave now, shouldn't I?"

"Unless you want an arrow through your leg, I would suggest doing that." For emphasis, Halt moved his hand closer to his longbow.

Gilan, clutching Cookie to his chest, took off like a frightened deer.

Halt gave his retreating former apprentice a small grin. "Too easy." He muttered to himself.

-

_Thud! Thud! Thud!_ Three arrows hit the tree trunk in quick succession, all hammering home less than a centimeter apart.

Halt smiled grimly to himself as he studied his workmanship, then sent another five arrows into the tree. This time he aimed a little higher, pretending that maybe this man was a little taller than the others. There was no real man there, of course. It was just the rough bark of the tree. But Halt always liked to practice pretending there was a person standing there, an enemy standing there, to be precise.

"Halt, look!"

Will had caught the older man off guard, and he jerked in surprise, sending the black-shafted arrow whizzing right by the tree and skidded into the moist ground. Cursing, he whirled around to find his apprentice. And he found Will, standing right smack behind him. He jumped again, then cursed as he realized he'd let his apprentice catch him off guard. Twice.

"What do you want?" He snapped. "Can't you see I'm shooting? That's a good way to get yourself killed." Then, before Will could answer, he added as an afterthought, "And shouldn't you be as well?"

Will shrugged. "I suppose so." Then his face lit up again. "But first I wanna show you something."  
"No no no." Halt said, shrugging his quiver into a more comfortable position on his back. "If that is a new pet then you can just go give it back, because you are certainly not keeping it."

"Aw, come on, Halt! But she's so cute!" Will dangled the box he was holding in front of Halt's face.

Up until now, the older ranger had not been able to tell what was inside, but now that he looked at it, he saw the tiniest, cutest little kitten imaginable. For a second, he almost agreed with Will. But he snapped his mouth shut again, not wanting his apprentice to see that he had a soft spot for animals. Especially little ones like that.

"Get rid of it." He said moodily as he began to make his way over to the tree.

"Please, Halt?" Will begged, tagging along at his heels.

Halt carefully pried the first arrow from the wood and slid it back into his quiver. "No." He said, without looking at his apprentice.

"Pretty please?"

"Still no." Halt pulled two more arrows from the tree.

"I know you like her." Now Will's voice had taken on a mischievous tone, and Halt knew exactly what the boy was planning to do.

"N-O." He spelled the word out, trying to pound it into his head that he couldn't keep the cat.

"Her name is Sparkly Socks."

Halt paused while pulling his sixth arrow from the tree, surprised at the frankness his apprentice had just displayed. Not to mention the strange name.

"Sparkly Socks?"

Will nodded. "She loves you, Halt." Then he shoved the kitten at Halt and pulled back, forcing his mentor to hold it.

"Will!" He exclaimed as he suddenly found Sparkly Socks cuddled up in his arms. He had to admit, her fur was extremely soft.

"See? Look how she's purring."

"Will, take this cat back!" Halt demanded, shoving the kitten at Will again.

"No way!" He took two steps back and raised his hands in an innocent gesture. "Not until you promise I can keep her."

"Fine, I'll just set her down." Halt bent down and was about to release the cat onto the grass when Will's shout stopped him.

"No! Don't do that!"

Halt looked up. "Why not?"

"Because she runs away. And I don't want her to get hurt." Will crossed his arms over his chest. "So hold her."

The older ranger straightened, fixing his apprentice with an exasperated look. _I can't believe I'm doing this._ He thought. "Fine. Keep the cat."

"Sparkly Socks." Will corrected

"Whatever." Halt shoved the kitten into Will's arms before finishing collecting his arrows. Then, as he turned to go back to his position to shoot some more, he heard Will again.

"Thank you, Halt."

The older man couldn't help but smile. As much as he hated to give in to his apprentice like that and just let him have it, he still liked the overjoyed look on his face and the three, small words he had uttered to his mentor.

He smiled fondly at his apprentice. "You're welcome, Will." The boy began to turn away, but Halt called after him. "Now come over here and start practicing."

**Well, did you guys like it? Next chapter we'll introduce some more pets (to Halt's great annoyance). If anyone has good suggestions for animals or names, PLEASE tell me. I would really like some help in that category. Anyways, thank you all! Oh, and by the way, special thanks to Ranger Turien for reminding me Abelard was a stallion. Thank you!**

_**Arrow :D**_


	4. Crowley Schemes

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice (unfortunately); all rights to John Flanagan!**

There were only two days left of the Gathering.

_ Too bad._ Halt thought. Normally, he enjoyed the Gatherings. Seven days of nothing but fellow rangers, archery practice, and coffee. Well, there were, of course, some of those annoying first-year apprentices who would come up to him and gape at the famed Halt. Then he would always snap some sarcastic remark at them and they would scurry away, not wanting to endure his wrath. But this year, his birthday had fallen on the second-to-last day of the Gathering, and he wished right now that he didn't have a birthday at all. Actually, most years he wished he didn't have a birthday at all.

He knew Crowley was plotting something. He saw it in the man's eyes as he walked by or in the scheming, calculating way he would write something down on a sheet of parchment after studying Halt intensely for several minutes. Then he would go and whisper into Gilan or Will's ear, and they would nod their heads emphatically and smile.

Halt was getting nervous, actually. He just wanted to get out of here before Crowley sprung his surprise upon the gray-bearded ranger. And he knew it was coming. Soon.

The Ranger was reclining on the soft baby grass, a mug of coffee in his hand and his longbow lying next to him. No reports to file. No Will asking questions. No one exclaiming over some new-found pet. This day was perfect. Well, except for the fact that every time Crowley passed Halt, he took on that same, mischievous look and stared for several minutes before moving on.

Then he heard it. The voice belonging to one of his best friends, but also one of the most annoying people in the world.

"Hey Halt!" Gilan was practically skipping with joy as he plopped down beside his former mentor. "Guess what?"

"No!" Halt said sharply, turning to glare at his former apprentice. "No more guessing!"

Gilan put on a fake pouty face, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring right back at Halt underneath his eyebrows. "You're no fun." He muttered. But he couldn't stop the grin that was breaking out on his face. "Crowley wants to see you." He said bluntly before standing, turning on his heel, and striding away.

Halt scowled at his apprentice's strange behavior and reluctantly lifted himself from the grass. With idle curiosity, he noticed that there were no rangers in sight. Hm. He thought. They must all be at the shooting range. Or in their tents. But he couldn't erase that little worm of doubt niggling at the back of his mind. He scooped up his longbow and slung it over his shoulder, tossing the dregs of his coffee into a smoldering campfire as he passed. Still carrying the mug, he shouldered his way through the heavy flaps of the command tent and glanced around in the dim light before spotting the commandant.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked, setting the coffee cup down on the polished oak desk. He had every intention of it staying there, too, until he was finished with Crowley and he could go refill it.  
The man beamed and stood from his chair, coming around the desk to stand beside Halt.

"Yes, I did."

Then Halt noticed the large, brown sack his friend was holding unobtrusively behind his back.

"What's that?" He asked, cocking his head to the side so he could get a better look at it.

Then, with startling speed, Crowley yanked it out from behind his back and pulled it down over Halt's head, tying the strings firmly before his friend erupted in a string of violent curses.

"Crowley! What are you doing?" He snapped angrily as he tried to free himself of the bag.

"Don't worry, Halt." He said as he grabbed his friend by the elbow and began to lead him from the command tent.

"Don't worry?" Halt shouted through the bag, trying to pry himself from Crowley's firm grasp and free himself from the offending sack.

"Stop your struggling, I'll let you out soon enough. Just be patient." Crowley said tolerantly, leading Halt across the springy grass.

"Where are you taking me?" The other Ranger complained, finally ceasing his struggling. "This isn't doing anything to help my bad mood."

Crowley gulped nervously, hoping that, after he had freed Halt, the other Ranger would not skin him alive.

After several minutes of Halt's ill-tempered comments, they finally reached a clearing. Not just any clearing, Crowley knew. This one was different.

Finally, he loosened the ties on the sack restricting his friend and dashed into the thick border of trees, using his cloak to camouflage himself.

After a few seconds of working at the still fairly tight ties, Halt threw the sack from his head, letting go a string of very colorful curses. He glanced around, taking notice that he was the only person in the clearing. "Crowley! Where'd you go?" He shouted after his friend, annoyance evident in his voice. "If this is some kind of joke…" He warned, letting his voice trail off menacingly as he took a step forward.

Suddenly, the trees were alive with Rangers, and they all leaped out, shouting 'Happy Birthday'.

Halt nearly had a heart attack. Even though he was a Ranger, and one of the best at that, he had not seen the other forty-odd rangers hiding in the dense woods. Thankfully, he bit back a startled gasp, and merely glared at them all. They all knew how much he hated birthday parties. Especially surprise birthday parties.

"Oh, come on, Halt!" Will laughed, coming forward to put a hand on his mentor's shoulder. "Don't be such a spoilsport!"

Halt sighed.

"Let's eat, everybody!" Crowley shouted cheerfully, emerging from the trees.

Halt glared daggers at him. "Crowley." He growled.

The other man just beamed happily and motioned towards a string of long table near the edge of the clearing. Surprisingly, Halt had not noticed it before. But then again, he was preoccupied with that itchy sack on his head.

After all the rangers had had their chance to slap their gray-bearded comrade on the back and congratulate him, they all swarmed towards the tables to eat.

Halt hung back, really wishing that he could go back to his cabin in Redmont and never come out again. He really hated being in the spotlight.

After a few minutes, Gilan approached him, a cup of coffee in his hands, and handed it to his former mentor, who was relaxing against a nearby tree.

"Here you go, Halt." He said, passing him the mug. Halt took it gratefully. "Aren't you going to eat something? We made all this for you."

The older Ranger hesitated, not wanting to hurt Gilan's feelings. "Thanks, Gil. But that's all right, I'm not really hungry."

Gilan grinned. "Oh, yeah. We gave you quite a scare, didn't we?" But his laughter was quickly silenced at an angry scowl from Halt. The younger man cleared his throat. "Well, Halt. I guess I'll be going back now." He said, sounding very much like he would like to escape that steely gaze.

"Good idea." Halt muttered as his apprentice wandered back into the throng of rangers surrounding the tables.

** Well, did you all like it? Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I've been really caught up in my other stories and school. I know, lame excuse. Next update should be faster, so don't worry! Thank you all!**

_**Arrow :D**_


	5. Halt's Surprise

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan!**

** I hope everyone likes this chapter. And if you want to here the music they played at Halt's party it's called Flaming Red Hair by Howard Shore. (AKA Bilbo's Party Music from the Fellowship of the Ring)**

Halt had just finished his second cup of coffee when the group of some fifty-odd rangers broke away from the food tables and approached him. The gray-bearded ranger grimaced when he noticed Will was holding a giant box in his hands. When the group joined him near his tree, he raised one eyebrow at them, a question on his face.

"All of us pitched in to get this for you, Halt." Will stepped forward with a giant blue box in his hands, a sparkly red ribbon tied around the top. With idle curiosity, Halt noticed there were several large holes decorating the sides of the box. Will set it before his mentor and beamed at him, motioning for him to open it. "Come on, Halt! Open it!" All the other rangers chorused their agreement.

Halt glared at Crowley, knowing this had been his idea. He knew Halt, like all other rangers, hated being the center of attention. Well, better just get it over with. He thought as he lifted the lid off the box. He barely caught a glimpse of what was inside, and immediately let the lid fall closed again.

"No." He growled. "Take it back."

"Aww come on Halt!" Gilan said, stepping forward and throwing the lid wide open. "Look how cute she is!" And the younger man reached inside the box and pulled out a little chocolate lab puppy, holding her in front of his former mentor. "Just look at that face!"

"I do not need a dog. Especially a puppy, at that." Halt said grouchily.

"Yes you do!" Crowley insisted, and Gilan plopped her right in Halt's lap.

"Wha-?" Halt began, right before the little dog began to lick his face enthusiastically. "Oh, cut it out!" He shoved the puppy away, and she scampered off his lap, whimpering pathetically.

The whole group of rangers 'Awww'ed like it was the end of the world.

"Come on, Halt! You're making her cry!" Will said, patting the little dog's head. She whimpered again.  
"Fine. Whatever." Halt said. And before he had even finished, the lab puppy bounded into his lap and began to bark excitedly. The older ranger cringed as the dog leaped up onto him, pawing at his shoulders and crying happily. "Oh, stop that!" He muttered, pushing the dog roughly off of him. But she remained in his lap, smiling in that way that only dog's can and panting.

"What are you going to call her?" One of the rangers asked.

Halt, not taking his eyes off his present, shrugged. "Why don't you pick a name?"

There was silence for a moment before Will broke it.

"Bootsie!" He shouted triumphantly. A chorus of agreement was heard from the other rangers.

"What?" Halt asked his apprentice, thinking that he had finally lost it.

"I think it's a cute name!" Crowley said. "See, Lee agrees too!" He motioned to his pet crow, which was perched on his shoulder. Halt looked around the group of gray and green-clad figures and shook his head, seeing their various pets.

"All right. Bootsie it is." He relented.

A shout rang from the gathering of rangers and they all came forward, slapping Halt on the shoulder and wishing him a happy birthday once again.

"Hey!" Crowley's booming voice broke through the noise. "Why don't you tell everyone how old you're turning, Halt?"

Halt glared at him. He knew very well that Crowley was the only one who knew, besides himself, that is, how old he was. Not even Gilan or Will knew.

His two apprentices, former and present, turned their eager, beaming faces to him. Everyone was silent, waiting for Halt's answer.

"Now that's none of your business!" Halt shouted, coming to his feet. For some reason, though, he felt suddenly happier. Maybe it was being around all the other rangers, the only family he had ever known. Or maybe it was just that he was getting softer in his old age. He didn't like the second idea. _Either way_, Halt thought, _I'd better get them off this subject._

"What about another round of coffee?" He suggested.

** Okay, sorry this chapter was so short everyone. There'll probably only be one more after this. I hope you all enjoyed it!**

_**Arrow :D**_


	6. Halt Has a New Pet

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan!**

** Sorry to say, but this will be the last chapter. So I hope you all enjoy it!**

Halt sat at his desk, sipping his coffee. He glared down at the reports cluttering the oak desk, wishing they would just go away. Nothing worse than paperwork. He thought. Now he knew how Crowley felt. Just as he picked up his quill again, a scratching sound erupted behind him. Turning in his chair, pen still held aloft, he looked for the source of the sound.

Bootsie was sitting directly behind him, scratching behind her ear intently. Apparently she had no idea how much that sound was annoying Halt.

"Hey, Bootsie." He said, irritated. The puppy glanced up, pausing in her scratching. "Cut that out."

Bootsie merely lolled her tongue out and tilted her head to the side. She continued to scratch.  
Halt shook his head. "Whatever. Have it your way."

It only took two seconds for Halt to send his chair screeching backwards and come to his feet. I need another cup of coffee. He thought. He grabbed his coffee cup and walked to the kitchen, having to dodge Bootsie on the way. She continually felt the need to weave in and out of his feet, as if in a desperate attempt to trip him. He set another pot of coffee over the stove and turned around.

Only to be met with Bootsie's smiling face.

"Go away, would you?" Halt said, shoving past her to relax on the couch. She leaped up beside him. They stayed there for several minutes, Halt not looking at Bootsie, Bootsie staring excitedly at Halt. The gray-bearded ranger's dark eyes flicked over to the dog, then quickly back again. She was kind of cute.

_Great. I'm getting soft in my old age._ He thought, shifting uncomfortably. Bootsie cuddled closer to him, resting her tiny little head in his lap. He shoved her off.

Bootsie moved to the other side of the couch, obviously hurt. Halt sighed. "All right, come here." Whimpering with joy, she bounded over to him, snuggling into his arms.

_Well_, Halt thought, completely forgetting about the coffee he had set to brew. _Maybe she wasn't such a bad gift after all._

Suddenly, the door squealed open and Will stepped inside, pausing as he saw his mentor on the couch with Bootsie. The puppy only wagged her tail and stuck her tongue out in a pant.

He tried to slowly reverse and escape the cabin without Halt seeing, but it was too late. The older ranger had heard his apprentice come in and called for him to come back when he heard him leaving.  
"I'm just gonna…make some coffee." Will said, finding it awkward that the grim old ranger was snuggling on the couch with a puppy.

"Oh, shut up, Will. It's just a dog. Besides, I've already made some." He gestured vaguely towards the kitchen, and Will walked over, pouring himself a cup.

"So…" He said slowly, hesitating. "You like your present?" Will turned back to his master, coffee in hand.

Halt smiled.

Which kind of scared Will.

But it didn't scare him nearly as much as it scared Halt himself. "Well," he said, shifting to a more comfortable position. "You have to admit, it was a pretty good idea."

Will grinned.

**Well, there it is. The end of Crowley's Pet, which has now evolved into Halt's Pet. :D I hope everyone enjoyed reading it, because I certainly enjoyed writing it. Again, happy birthday EvenstarWarrior! I hope you enjoyed gift, even if it wasn't a lab puppy! :D**

_**Arrow :D**_


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